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Autonomous vehicles represent one of the most promising trends of technological developments in transportation, industry, and everyday life. In recent years, Hungary has focused on research and development and creating testing opportunities, primarily through the ZalaZone test track and the domestic headquarters of international automotive companies. Pénzcentrum interviewed Prof. Péter Gáspár, head of HUN-REN SZTAKI’s Systems and Control Laboratory and the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems.

Researchers from HUN-REN SZTAKI (Antal Hiba PhD, Viktor Körtvélyesi, Péter Bauer PhD) made a drone demonstration on the II. Domestic Drone Competition taking place in the Police Academy in Remeteszőlős between 17-18 September 2025.

A few decades ago, flying was still a rare luxury, but today it is a natural part of many of our lives. Summer vacations, a few days of sightseeing, business trips: any point on the globe can be reached in a matter of hours. Similarly, air parcel delivery has become part of our everyday lives, from the global network of online orders to urgent industrial shipments. However, growing air traffic is not only putting a strain on airports, but also on our planet. This is why it has become a key issue to find ways to make aviation greener, more economical, and safer at the same time—even in the harshest weather conditions. Hungarian researchers are working on this side by side with the world's largest aircraft manufacturers.

Many people think that technology is the biggest challenge in the development of self-driving cars. In fact, the most complex problem is the city itself: where people and cars, bicycles and scooters, buses and trams share the traffic, a single decision depends on dozens of factors. Researchers at HUN-REN SZTAKI’s Systems and Control Laboratory (SCL) are working on algorithms that can make quick and safe decisions even in the most complex situations.

While most drivers can see no further than the next bend, the autonomous system developed by the Systems and Control Laboratory (SCL) at HUN-REN SZTAKI calculates several kilometres ahead: it analyses the terrain, traffic patterns, and road conditions in real time, achieving an average fuel savings of 7 percent – up to ten times more efficient than human routine driving.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer science fiction, but a reality that is fundamentally transforming our lives, education, public administration, and the business world. Would you like to learn more about this unique world and understand it better? Would you like to dispel your fears and reservations about AI? A free, three-hour online artificial intelligence training course will help you learn more about the basics of artificial intelligence and discover the potential of AI.

The closing event of the REFORMula Challenge Innovation Competition for high school students, co-organized by ARNL, took place in Mátraháza, Hungary on 30-31 May 2025, with nearly 50 participants.

The Autonomous Systems National Laboratory (ARNL) held its annual research and development demonstration day entitled "Innovation in Motion" at the ZalaZONE Industrial Park in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary on 26 May 2025. The event featured presentations of the latest developments by the HUN-REN Institute for Computer Science and Control, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and Széchenyi István University, all members of the ARNL consortium. The demonstration day highlighted that domestic research into autonomous systems is based on strong foundations, both from a scientific and practical perspective, and offers real answers to the transport and industrial challenges of the future.

With the advent of autonomous vehicles, a future where human drivers are no longer needed and only "self-driving" cars are on the road has emerged. But can this happen, why do we need autonomous cars at all, and how could connected autonomous vehicles improve transport efficiency? The head of Systems and Control Laboratory (SCL) at HUN-REN SZTAKI now explains how we should imagine it all.